Cardiff City: You may be surprised where these 3 ex-Bluebirds stars are playing now | OneFootball

Football League World looks at three ex-Cardiff City players who have since made surprising career moves...

Cardiff City's squad turnover is invariably high and even bears certain parallels to the ever-revolving managerial door in the Welsh capital, with many players coming and going over the years.

Eight fresh faces were sourced across a divisive summer transfer window, an intake which admittedly paled in comparison to the number of imports from previous years. Less excitable supporters cited the volume of aging recruits as a potential concern, with Callum Chambers and Anwar El Ghazi both notably yet to get going.

Cardiff have, however, made some exciting younger acquisitions, and the likes of Roko Simic, Will Fish and Alex Robertson will all be expected to blossom and potentially even net their side handsome respective profits further down the line.

A significant sticking point among supporters is that Cardiff seldom end up seeing their first-team players courted by superior clubs and then getting sold for a profit, which is why the summer sale of Mark McGuinness to Luton Town was, in many ways, a welcome exception to a troubling trend.

However, at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there are a handful of players who have since wound up at clubs which will leave more than a few fans scratching their heads in confusion and shock.

With that in mind, Football League World has looked at three former Cardiff players who are now playing for clubs that may surprise you.

Sheyi Ojo

It is somewhat timely to initiate the run-down with the inclusion of Sheyi Ojo, who represents the most recent departure from the Cardiff City Stadium having left following the expiration of his two-year contract in the summer.

The former Liverpool prodigy, who was touted for a glittering career as a youth player, impressed enough on loan at Cardiff during the 2020/21 season to convince them to bring him back on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022, where he had been a free agent after his release from the Reds.

However, Ojo was a monumental disappointment during his two-year permanent stay in South Wales.

The winger scored one goal and failed to make an assist from 38 Championship games in his first season, and he was not fancied by Erol Bulut, who sent him on loan to KV Kortrijk for the 2023/24 campaign.

Ojo was promptly released at the end of last season to no shock, although his new destination allows for more surprise. Having been a free agent for some time, the 27-year-old eventually joined Maribor of the Slovenian top-flight.

The former Rangers and Fulham winger is yet to open his account for his new club, who count the likes of Rolando Aarons and ex-Atalanta star Josip Ilicic among their ranks.

It was certainly a surprise to see Ojo up sticks and head all the way to Slovenia, even though a drop-down from Cardiff felt somewhat inevitable.

Neil Etheridge

Cardiff supporters may also be shocked to learn that former favourite Neil Etheridge is now plying his trade in Thailand with Buriram United, having made the move this summer after being released by Birmingham City.

The 82-cap Philippines international has endured a stark fall from grace in the four years that have followed his exit from the Bluebirds in 2020.

Etheridge, who signed for Cardiff after leaving Walsall on a free transfer in 2017, was a huge hit in Wales. He kept 19 clean sheets and conceded just 37 goals in his first season, where Cardiff achieved a shock promotion to the Premier League.

The shot-stopper excelled amid testing top-flight circumstances, too, earning plaudits for often keeping his side in games and emerging as a real positive from an otherwise difficult season which ultimately ended in relegation.

However, he suffered a serious hamstring injury in Cardiff's first game of the 2019/20 season back in the Championship and found himself unable to earn his place back over Alex Smithies before joining Birmingham.

It failed to work out in the Second City for Etheridge, who was only a regular in one of his four seasons with the club and was later released, sealing a switch to the Thai League 1 a month later.

Cardiff fans will wish Etheridge well, though.

They may just wonder how the 34-year-old has wound up playing at such a low level and, admittedly, his final season with the Bluebirds was a disappointment, but he is still widely recognised as one of the club's best goalkeepers in recent years.

Jordon Mutch

Last but not least, Jordon Mutch's array of clubs have caused a lot of shock in recent years.

A real star during Cardiff's first-ever Premier League crusade in 2013/14, Mutch scored seven goals from midfield and earned the right to remain in the top-flight by joining QPR after his side were relegated.

He did not last long at Loftus Road before heading across London to sign on with Crystal Palace merely months later, mind, and his Selhurst Park switch proved similarly ill-fated.

The talented midfielder never forced himself into the Eagles reckoning on a consistent basis and failed to make a real impact when given the opportunity either, setting the tone for a disappointing fall from grace.

Now 32, Mutch has taken spells in Canada, South Korea, Norway and Australia. After briefly returning to English football with then-League Two outfit Crawley Town in 2023, Mutch headed back down under to sign for semi-professional side Gold Coast Knights earlier this year.

Mutch may not be fondly remembered by supporters of QPR, Palace and Reading, but his two seasons at Cardiff were memorable and the Bluebirds faithful will always wonder what could have been with the midfielder.